Community Activists Rally: Leopold Must Go

Group Cites Allegation County Executive Spied On Political Rivals

A group of community activists is calling for embattled Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold to step down amid allegations of misconduct in office.

Leopold was indicted on March 2 on allegations that he used police officers assigned to his security detail to do campaign work for him, as well as to chauffeur him to and from sexual affairs.

Last week, the county police union turned in an overwhelming vote expressing no confidence in Leopold and Police Chief James Teare, who is accused of having looked the other way when complaints were raised against Leopold.

On Monday, concerned citizens demonstrated at the Arundel Center in Annapolis, demanding that Leopold resign.

"About a year ago, when there were questions about sexual misconduct, I thought, 'Oh here we go again.' But now it involves (county) funds and compromising police officers and checking the dossier on our public citizens," said Joanna Hanes Lahr, a community activist.

"To be that blatant and to have that mindset that this man had, it wasn't good. It didn't show good for the people, and it wasn't for the people, it was for him. He was too into himself. He was doing everything for Leopold," said Cynthia Abney Carter, a community activist.

The group said it is upset over allegations that Leopold also ordered police officers to open up dossiers on his political opponents to spy on them. The demonstrators said they want to know who was on the enemies list and why they were on there. Those allegations have drawn the condemnation of the Maryland chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

"The alleged spying by the police under the direction of the county executive is reminiscent of J. Edgar Hoover's counter-intelligence program, which was declared unconstitutional and illegal. The COINTELPRO program kept Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other law-abiding activists under surveillance. We cannot have another illegal program like this operating in our county," said community activist Lewis A. Bracy in a news release.

Leopold's office said the county executive was unavailable Monday for comment. Last week, he told 11 News and other media outlets, "The only proper venue to hear our side of the story is in the courts, and I'm very confident." He didn't stray from that text.

Additionally, they want Teare to explain what he knew and what, if anything, he did to handle complaints from officers.

"(Leopold) just was unchecked, and he had a police chief that didn't put him in check. So, this was no secret," said Lewis Bracy, a community activist.

Circuit Court Judge Dennis Sweeney has been assigned to handle the Leopold case. The chief judge in Anne Arundel County thought it best to bring in an outsider to avoid any appearance of conflict with the county's judges, Miller said.

The county executive doesn't appoint Circuit Court judges, but the county does provide part of the court system's funding.

Leopold was initially supposed to make his first court appearance in two weeks on the misconduct charges against him. That's has since been canceled pending a meeting next week to set the schedule for the whole case.

Sweeney, who is from Howard County, has a reputation as a fair and firm judge -- and one who's Facebook savvy. After dealing with jurors in the Dixon case -- who communicated via Facebook -- Sweeney has come up with a model for all courts to follow that advises jurors on the use of social media and technology while hearing and deliberating a case.

Last week, the county's firefighters also handed in a vote of no confidence toward Chief John Ray, who was appointed by Leopold two years ago. Fire union officials said the chief has neglected staffing issues, and they said the department is also not meeting national standards for staffing fire engine and ladder companies.